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Louis Bourgeois

1510 - 1561 Scripture: Psalm 85 Composer or Arranger of "OLD 107TH" in The Book of Common Praise Louis Bourgeois (b. Paris, France, c. 1510; d. Paris, 1561). In both his early and later years Bourgeois wrote French songs to entertain the rich, but in the history of church music he is known especially for his contribution to the Genevan Psalter. Apparently moving to Geneva in 1541, the same year John Calvin returned to Geneva from Strasbourg, Bourgeois served as cantor and master of the choristers at both St. Pierre and St. Gervais, which is to say he was music director there under the pastoral leadership of Calvin. Bourgeois used the choristers to teach the new psalm tunes to the congregation. The extent of Bourgeois's involvement in the Genevan Psalter is a matter of scholarly debate. Calvin had published several partial psalters, including one in Strasbourg in 1539 and another in Geneva in 1542, with melodies by unknown composers. In 1551 another French psalter appeared in Geneva, Eighty-three Psalms of David, with texts by Marot and de Beze, and with most of the melodies by Bourgeois, who supplied thirty four original tunes and thirty-six revisions of older tunes. This edition was republished repeatedly, and later Bourgeois's tunes were incorporated into the complete Genevan Psalter (1562). However, his revision of some older tunes was not uniformly appreciated by those who were familiar with the original versions; he was actually imprisoned overnight for some of his musical arrangements but freed after Calvin's intervention. In addition to his contribution to the 1551 Psalter, Bourgeois produced a four-part harmonization of fifty psalms, published in Lyons (1547, enlarged 1554), and wrote a textbook on singing and sight-reading, La Droit Chemin de Musique (1550). He left Geneva in 1552 and lived in Lyons and Paris for the remainder of his life. Bert Polman

James Weldon Johnson

1871 - 1938 Person Name: James W. Johnson, 1871-1938 Scripture: Psalm 85:2-8 Author of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in Lead Me, Guide Me (2nd ed.) James Weldon Johnson MA PhD USA 1871-1938. Born at Jacksonville, FL, he attended Clark University, Atlanta, GA, and also spent three months in the backwoods of Georgia., taking in the culture there. While in school he published a paper, ”The daily American newspaper”, which ran for a year until terminated for lack of funding. He graduated in 1894. He then taught at the largest school in Jacksonville, FL, eventually becoming principal and adding 9th & 10th grades there. While there he began preparing for the FL bar exam, taking it in 1897. In 1904 he became treasurer of the Colored Republican Club, becoming its president the following year. He became an author, activist, educator, lawyer, and diplomat. A musician from youth, he collaborated with his brother, Rosamond, also a musician, and Bob Cole to write Broadway songs, and they achieved some success. They also wrote an opera, “Tolosa”, satirizing the U.S. annexation of the Pacific islands. He became a writer and Civil Rights activist. He did the editorial page of the New York Age, an African-American newspaper. In 1916 he became active in the NAACP, and in 1917 he added many chapters to its southern membership. He was its executive secretary (essentially its operating officer) from 1920-1930. He was involved in the campaign to pass the Dyer Anti-lynching Bill. He wrote poems, novels, and anthologies, and collected poems and spirituals from black culture. He wrote the lyrics to the Negro National Anthem, “Lift every voice and sing”, in honor of Booker T Washington, who visited his school and heard the poem recited by 500 school children in his presence, paying tribute to Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. He participated in Theodore Roosevelt’s successful presidential campaign, and was rewarded by receiving an appointment as U.S. Consul to Venezuela (1906-1909), and later to Nicaragua (1909-1913). He married activist,Grace Elizabeth Nail during this period. They had collaborated on a screenwriting project. They had no children. In 1930, after years leading the NAACP, he became professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University ( a historically black university), Nashville, TN, where he lectured on a wide range of issues. In 1934 he was the first African-American professor hired at New York University, where he taught several classes in literature and culture. He published four works: “Autobiography of an Ex-colored man” (1920) “The book of American negro poetry” (1922/1931), “God’s trombones” (1927), and “Along this way” (1933). In 1938 he supported efforts by Ignatz Waghalter, a Polish-Jewish composer who had escaped the Nazis in Germany, to establish a classical orchestra of African-American musicians. He perished at Wiscasset, ME, while on vacation when the car his wife was driving was hit by a train. She was severely injured, but recovered. More than 2000 people attended his funeral. Several universities named buildings or departments in his honor, as is a community library in St. Petersburg, FL. In 1988 a U.S, postage stamp was printed in his honor. John Perry

J. Rosamond Johnson

1873 - 1954 Person Name: J. Rosamund Johnson, 1873-1954 Scripture: Psalm 85:2-8 Composer of "ANTHEM" in Lead Me, Guide Me (2nd ed.) John Rosamond Johnson USA 1873-1954. Born at Jacksonville, FL, brother of James Weldon Johnson, he was an important figure in black music. During the first part of the 20th century. With his brother and a partner, Bob Cole, he helped compose “The black national anthem”: “Lift every voice and sing”. He was a pianist, songwriter, producer, soldier, singer, and actor. He began playing the piano at age four, and he studied at the New England Conservatory and with Samuel Coleridge Taylor in London, England. By the turn of the century he was teaching school in the Jacksonville area. He was also music director at the Bethel Baptist Church there. He moved to New York City in 1900 and entered its musical life. With Bob Cole (and sometimes his brother) they created a vaudeville act, did songwriting, and produced several musicals. This lasted until Cole’s death in 1911. They also produced two musicals: “The shoo-fly regiment” (1907) and “The red moon” (1909), in which he did some acting as well. The shows were successful, but they lost money and returned to doing vaudeville. In 1912, he gave a piano “Concert of Negro Music” at Carnegie Hall. In 1912-13 he went to London and served as director of Oscar Hammerstein’s Grand Opera House. He also wrote music for a theatre review. Returning to the U.S. with his new wife, Nora Ethel Floyd, he was appointed as director of the New York Music School Settlement for Colored People, serving from 1914-1919. The Johnson’s had one son, Donald. When WW1 broke out, he received a commission as a 2nd Lt. In the 15th Regiment. After the war, he also helped his brother with some NAACP activities. He toured with his own groups, the Harlem Rounders and the Inimitable Five. In New York he met and worked with Oscar Hammerstein, who would help shape his career. He also performed in negro spiritual concerts in New York and Manhattan. He sang and played the part of a lawyer in the original production of “Porgy & Bess” (1935). In 1936 he served as music director for the musical, “Blackbirds”. He sang in the original production of Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess”, taking roles in other dramatics as well. As an editor he collected important works of traditional African-American songs and compiled them, along with his brother, James: “The Book of American negro spirituals” (1925), and ‘The second Book of negro spirituals’ (1926). He also edited “Shoutsongs” (1936) and the folksong anthology “Rolling along in song” (1937). He co-produced 15 musicals. He continued composing songs and instructing young people in music, and serving as a theatre doctor for many plays until his death. He died in New York City. Six published collections. John Perry

R. B. Y. Scott

1899 - 1987 Person Name: R. B. Y. Scott (1899-1987) Scripture: Psalm 85 Author of "O Day of God, Draw Nigh" in Common Praise (1998) Scott, Robert Balgarnie Young. (Toronto, Ontario, July 18, 1899--November 1, 1987). United Church. University of Toronto, B.A., 1922; M.A., 1924; Ph.D., 1928. Pastorate at Long Branch, Ont., 1926-1928; professor of Old Testament at Union College (Vancouver), 1928-1931; United Theological College (Montreal), 1931-1955; Princeton University, 1955-1968; also dean of divinity at McGill University (Montreal), 1945-1955. Published many translations of, and commentaries on, Old Testament material, as well as on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Most of his hymns date from his years in Montreal. --Hugh D. McKellar, DNAH Archives

Graham Kendrick

b. 1950 Person Name: Graham Kendrick (1950-) Scripture: Psalm 85 Author of "Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining" in Common Praise (1998) Graham Kendrick (b. England, August 2, 1950), the son of a Baptist minister in Northamptonshire, is one of the most prolific Christian singer-songwriters in the United Kingdom. He’s written music for over thirty years, and to date has released thirty-eight albums. He is best known for his songs “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” “Knowing You,” and “The Servant King.” Kendrick has received honorary doctorates in divinity from Brunel University and Wycliffe College. In 1987 he helped co-found the March for Jesus, which today is a global phenomenon in which Christians take their faith to the streets in a celebration of Christ. In 1995 Kendrick received a Dove Award for his international work, and he remains an active advocate for Compassion International, which is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world, and also is a contributor to CompassionArt, an organization with the aim of generating income from works of art to assist in the relief of suffering around the planet. Laura de Jong

Samuel Wesley

1766 - 1837 Person Name: S. Wesley, 1766-1837 Scripture: Psalm 85 Composer of "[Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land]" in The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches Samuel Wesley; b. Feb. 24, 1766, Bristol; d. Oct. 11, 1837, London; composer and organist. Son of Charles Wesley, grandson of Samuel Wesley, 1662-1735

Palmer Wheeler

1905 - 1983 Person Name: Palmer E. Wheeler Scripture: Psalm 85:12-13 Arranger of "[I know the Lord will find a way for me]" in Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) In his mid-twenties, Palmer Esker Wheeler joined the first Stamps Quartet, singing for Victor Records. In his mid-thirties, he joined the Vaughan Quartet and sang in concerts and on the radio. He was known as "the golden tenor voice of gospel music." His songs were published by Stamps-Baxter and Vaughan Music. In his mid-thirties, he left quartet singing to teach at Freed-Hardeman College (Henderson, Tennessee). He led singing for many Churches of Christ congregations. He published Youth Melodies and Action Songs in 1952. His most popular songs included I Want To Go To Heaven When I Die, Have I Done The Best I Can, Tomorrow May Be Too Late, and We Will Never Be Sorry. Source: Gospel Gems: A Collection of Songs by Palmer and Tommy Wheeler. - M. Lynn

Theodore E. Perkins

1831 - 1912 Person Name: Theodore E. Perkins, b. 1831 Scripture: Psalm 85 Composer of "REPENTANCE" in Psalter Hymnal (Blue) Theodore E. Perkins was born at Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson, N.Y., July 21, 1831. His father was a Baptist clergyman. The family of ten brothers and sisters sang and played various instruments, forming among themselves both choir and orchestra. His musical education began at the early age of three years. During his father's pastorate at Hamilton, N. Y., the choir rehearsals were often held at the parsonage, and the leader used to place the three-year-old on a small stool, on the table around which the choir was assembled, giving him a chance to both see and hear. Later on he played the violincello in church, standing on a stool in order to finger the instrument. The home gatherings — especially on Thanksgiving Day, are the recollections among the happiest of his childhood. His father became pastor of the Berean Baptist Church in New York City, in 1839, giving him the opportunity of studying the pianoforte, of which he became a proficient player. His fine alto voice soon gave him notoriety. At the age of nineteen while filling a position as clerk in New York, all his spare time was given to the study of voice and piano. In 1851 he went to Hamilton, N. Y., taught music in Madison University (now Colgate), and in the Female Seminary. In 1854 he went to Port Jervis, N. Y., where he taught singing school, and April 30, 1855, married Mary Frances Caskey, who was for years his soprano soloist in many musical Festivals and Conventions. Soon after marriage he removed to Salem, N. J., where his lifework as singing school teacher really began, including Bridgeton and prominent towns in southern New Jersey. During the summer of 1856 he and his wife were pupils of the Normal Academy of Music at North Reading, Mass., conducted by Drs. Lowell Mason and Geo. F. Root. During 1856-1858 he was given the position of assistant teacher and manager. His association with these two great men gave an inspiration to all his future work. In 1859 he was co-principal with Wm. B. Bradbury at the Normal Academy of Music, Geneseo, N. Y. He remained at Geneseo until 1863. Professor Perkins also held very successful schools in North Pelham Province of Ontario, Canada, and in 1864-1868 was principal in schools at Tunkhannock and Meadville, Pa. In 1860, The Olive Branch, his first book of church music, was published by F. J. Huntington, New York City, the sales reaching 100,000. Next was Oriental, which sold over 30,000. The Union, Glees and Anthems, and Sabbath Anthems followed ; then The Sacred Lute, which sold over 300,000. His Sunday-school books commenced with The Evergreen, followed by the Shining Star and New Shining Star. Then came Psalm King, which was the last of the books published by Mr. Huntington. Hallowed Songs was published by Philip Phillips; The Sunday School Banner was published by Wm. B. Bradbury. The Royal Standard was published in Toronto, Canada. The Golden Promise, Sabbath Carols, The Mount Zion Collection were published under his own supervision. His Free Sunday School Songs several times numbered over 500,000 a month. Coronation Songs with Rev. Dr. Deems as hymn editor was published by A. S. Barnes Co., who also published Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in which Dr. C. S. Robinson was hymn editor, who with Professor Perkins edited Calvary Songs, published by the American S. S. Union. Gospel Tent Songs was evangelical. The Safe-Guard Singer was his temperance book. Mr. Perkins was musical director in the following churches in Brooklyn: The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Cuyler; Strong Place Baptist Church, Rev. E. E. L. Taylor, D. D.; Madison Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. H. G. Weston, D. D., L. L. D.; Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Rice, followed by Dr. John Hall; The Memorial Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. C. S. Robinson, who was his close friend; The Church of the Holy Trinity, Rev. Dr. Tyng, Jr. ; Trinity Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. J. B. Simmons, and Washington Square M. E. Church. In Philadelphia: The Fifth Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Chase; The Eleventh Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Colman; The Tabernacle M. E. Church, Rev. George Gaul, D. D. He was leader and singer in Evangelistic Services, at the Rink, The Old Madison Square Garden and Cooper Union, all of New York City. The music of the first great meeting of the world's Evangelical Alliance, held for ten days in New York City, was under his direction, as was the first National Sunday School convention, held in Newark, N. J. He was also conductor at the Golden Anniversary of the Female Guardian Society, leading a chorus of forty-two hundred children. In the opening chorus, Great is the Lord, by Dr. Calcott, the word "Great" was given with so much decision and power that the clergymen on the platform sprang to their feet and remained standing until the chorus was finished. He taught voice culture in Princeton and Lafayette Universities, The Union Theological Seminary, New York City; Crozer Seminary, Chester, Pa., and organized the music department of Temple University, Philadelphia, continuing in charge four years. He had charge of the children's choir of Howard Mission, New York City, for twenty-five years, and thinks that some of the happiest and most restful of the working hours were spent in teaching the poor children of the fourth and sixth wards to sing the Gospel. Mr. Sankey said to Mr. Perkins that " Jesus of Nazareth was my banner song for eight years." Jesus is Mine has been sung at the Christian's death-bed, the grave, and once as the convict was going to the scaffold. His Christmas Carol Sweetly Carol had a very large sale in this country, and was republished in England, France, Italy, and Germany. For a period of forty years he has made the study of the voice special work. The most thorough investigations of the voice and its possibilities were made with the assistance of the late John Howard, extending over a period of twenty-five years, during which he has had the care of over two thousand voices. He published a work entitled, Physiological Yoice Culture, edited by his son, the late T. Edward Perkins, M. D., physician and throat specialist of Philadelphia. Mr. Perkins also completed a method of voice culture based on the principles of John Howard's Physiology of Artistic Singing." During these years of work he has found time to edit thirty-four books of church, Sunday-school, day-school, and glee music, the larger portion having been previously mentioned. Also songs and ballads in sheet form, and a cantata entitled, The Excursion, libretto by Fanny Crosby, with whom there has existed an unbroken friendship for over forty years. -Biography of Gospel Song and hymn Writers

Michel Guimont

b. 1950 Person Name: MG Scripture: Psalm 85 Composer of "[I will hear what the Lord God has to say] (Guimont)" in Catholic Book of Worship III

John Schiavone

b. 1947 Person Name: John Schiavone, b. 1947 Scripture: Psalm 85:9-13 Composer of "[I will hear what God proclaims]" in Journeysongs (3rd ed.)